Conquering Time Together
by Smiliface
Summary: One shot Zax fluff :) Max can't sleep, Zoe tells him how she feels.


**Just a one-shot based on tonight. Enjoy :) **

Max rolled over and looked at the clock, its luminous green letters glaring ominously back at him. 2.39. His brain just couldn't turn off. His thoughts were whirring round and round, like a broken carousel, its passengers stuck on board, too terrified to let go of the safety of the plastic horses to which they clung.

What was the last CD he'd bought? Was it a Coldplay one? Or maybe Westlife… No. No. It had been Take That. Possibly. Would he ever buy another CD or just iTunes? His life was moving on so fast, he wasn't sure what was going on… would he be a porter for ever? Would that be OK? Could he live on a porter's wage for ever? What was he even doing here, anyway? Not here, in this bed, but here, on Earth. Was there a purpose, was there a reason for his existence, or was it all just pointless?

2.46.

Time was literally slipping away from him and nothing was changing.

"Hmm" A sleepy moan came from the slumbering body next to him. Zoe rolled over so that she was facing him, or at least would have been, had her eyes been open. In her sleep, she shuffled closer to him, wrapping herself around him and moaning in contentment.

He looked down at her beautiful body, her black hair shining up at him, and he moved his body down, allowing his chin to rest upon her head. He loved her so much. So much. He didn't really understand why she'd fallen to him. Under that charm, he didn't really consider himself to be anything special. Not really. Not enough for her.

He longed to ask her, but he didn't want to rock the boat; the boat that he thought must be precarious. She'd never told him she loved him; did that mean anything or was that just her?

STOP. STOP. STOP.

2.59.

In 60 seconds, a new hour would have arrived. Another hour would have passed and it would be ever closer to the morning.

He shuffled, and Zoe woke beneath him. "Hmm", she moaned again, the whites of her eyes showing in the darkened room as her eyes opened slowly. She dragged her fingers around the contours of his face, feeling him, wanting to know that he was there.

"What are you doing awake at… 3am?" She'd had to strain her neck to see the time and collapsed it back onto the firm muscle of Max's chest, his fingers finding and gently caressing his hair.

"I'm thinking. Well, it's not a choice. I can't stop" He whispered to her in the darkness, squeezing her, holding him against her.

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No! No. Nothing like that. It's just…." "Just what?" She pushed, gently but concerned.

"Well, what's someone like you doing with someone like me?" As he asked, Zoe wasn't sure if she was meant to answer, but she knew she wanted to. She wanted to reassure him that she loved him and that she wasn't with him out of sympathy or desperation.

"That's a good question". She was joking and he knew it, but the light tone fell flat as Max shook his head against the top of hers.

He was determined not to let his worry show; she didn't need to know how worried he was. "Doesn't matter" he told her, and closed his eyes, more than ready to enter into the world of sleep.

3.17.

This time it was Zoe looking at the clock. She couldn't get Max's question out of her head, but couldn't think of a suitable reply that was sincere without cheesy, that was thorough without patronisation.

"I'm sorry" a croaky whisper came from beside her.

She patted his chest. "Whatever for?"

She felt him shrug, felt his muscles shift beneath her. "Waking you up, making you think about stuff"

"Sometimes it's good to think about these things. Can't avoid them forever"

"No. no, you can't" he mused, questions still floating between them.

She moved her hand around, feeling for his hand, grasping and clinging to it when she found it, giving her a sense of safety, permanence and security that she rarely felt.

3.26

Her hand remained tightly in his, her head comfortably on his shoulder, tucked beneath his chin.

"Stay awake… don't rest your head.

Don't lie down upon your bed.

You're not sleepy as you seem…

Don't nod and dream"

Zoe couldn't remember all the words in the right order, but her gentle singing voice comforted him, lulled him into a slumber that he couldn't achieve alone. She smiled to herself as she felt him transition from the world of consciousness, and hoped with all that she had that his sleep would be peaceful.

She knew he worried about their roles, that she earned more than him. He was excited that they were able to spend a night off the boat, in this hotel room, but she knew that he didn't like that she'd been the one to pay. As always. He'd told her that he'd pay her back, or pay for next time.

She didn't mind. He was worth it, but she knew it made him feel emasculated; unnecessary, inadequate.

"I love you, you know. I really do. I'm not very good at that sort of thing, and even worse at saying it. I'm sorry".

She stroked his fingers as she spoke to him, practising for her reply; what she'd say in the morning. "But I stuck around, didn't I? I think you should take that as a massive compliment and… well, honour, frankly."

She chuckled to herself as she spoke. "What do I love about Maximilian Walker? Well, firstly… I think I might go for that goofy smile that makes you look like a cartoon. You're so beautiful" She mused, gently kissing the side of his mouth and smiling herself.

"It's OK, you know. OK that I earn more than you" They'd rarely been that frank with each other, discussed it in such words, but she needed to say it.

"You make me happy. You make me laugh. Isn't that worth a million dollars? I could have bought a house but it wouldn't be a home without you. You give me so much more than I can buy"

She paused for a moment, considering her next words. She'd begun to get into this, and was realising that she needed to say this, needed to tell him, as well as herself.

"I miss you when you're not with me. I miss your stupid jokes, your laugh and your love. You care so much about me, I've never met anyone who loves me like you do, and I ask myself every day. Ever day I ask myself…" she rephrased and trailed off. "I ask myself why you love me. How you love me…"

Vulnerability. She wasn't good at it.

"Because you're beautiful. Because you're amazing. You're my best friend and my everything". He whispered, his voice breaking the air.

4.00

"Max… my darling, it's 4 o'clock in the morning and we've got to be at work in 6 hours. Did you hear everything I said?"

She felt him smile against her. "Yeah… yeah I did"

She breathed a sigh, not sure if it was embarrassment or relief, but as he pulled her close and placed kisses on the top of her head, she knew she didn't have to be embarrassed.

"Just promise me one thing?" He asked

"Hmmm…?" She raised an eyebrow in the dark.

"That we'll have another one of those baths later. Together" His proposal was met with a light chuckle. "Oh, I dunno, we'll see".

…. The numbers on the clock were blurred, unrecognisable. Insignificant.

Together, they were everything. Together, they could conquer time. They'd never beat it. Time would always win, but together, together it didn't matter because every moment was one to be treasured and one to make the best of. As they slipped off to sleep together, entwined in each other's arms, the world suddenly made more sense than it ever had.

**Thanks for reading. Any feedback always appreciated :) x**


End file.
